Ottawa·NewPolitical and business leaders are gunning for $3 billion worth of defence industry investment in Ottawa-Gatineau by 2031, saying the region deserves a prominent role in Canada’s promised military spending boom.Region angling for $3B over 5 years to build military innovation hubCBC News · Posted: Oct 28, 2025 1:52 PM EDT | Last Updated: 31 minutes agoListen to this articleEstimated 2 minutesInvest Ottawa’s Sonya Shorey speaks Tuesday at a launch event for a strategy to make Ottawa-Gatineau a defence innovation hub. (Olivier Plante/Radio-Canada)Political and business leaders are gunning for $3 billion worth of defence industry investment in Ottawa-Gatineau by 2031, saying the region deserves a prominent role in Canada’s promised military spending boom.Getting in on that investment from public and private sources would generate up to 18,000 new jobs, modernize labs and allow companies to grow here, the officials said.”A strong, thriving national capital is a national asset, and it deserves national investment,” said Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe in a news release accompanying the strategy’s launch Tuesday.It would both draw on and benefit a unique, bilingual region spanning two provinces with plenty of defence, tech and diplomatic infrastructure already in place, proponents say.It would also help the region absorb federal government job cuts and “position Canada’s Capital Region as a model of national renewal and resilience,” according to the news release.The call for investment comes as Canada and other NATO members promise to dramatically increase defence spending. The pitch focuses on shifting alliances and trade policies, along with disruption caused by artificial intelligence.”This is a once-in-a-generation moment to harness our region’s world-class strengths in technology, research, and industry to serve our country, our Forces, and our Allies,” said Invest Ottawa President and CEO Sonya Shorey. Her group is leading and funding the project.A 10-point plan presented Tuesday includes proposals to test uncrewed aircraft around the Ottawa International Airport, and a facility to manufacture the modern compound semiconductors required for the devices that will power all this innovation.More proposals are expected shortly after next week’s federal budget.With files from Jodie Applewaithe
Ottawa-Gatineau makes pitch for billions in defence spending
